FACT-CHECK: Did a N10bn Lafia Flyover Collapse Three Weeks After Commissioning in Nasarawa?
Claim: A viral image circulating on social media platforms, especially on X, Facebook and Instagram claims that a newly constructed N10 billion worth flyover bridge in Lafia, Nasarawa State, collapsed barely three weeks after its commissioning.
The accompanying text reads: “JUST IN: Flyover collapse after 3 weeks of commissioning in Lafia, Nassarawa State. 10 Billion was spent on this project. That is Nigeria for you.”
The post has triggered widespread outrage and concern among citizens on X, Facebook, and WhatsApp, with many users citing it as evidence of corruption and poor infrastructure delivery in the country.
The timing of the viral image and the growing public scrutiny over project quality in Nasarawa have fueled assumptions that the Lafia flyover, recently commissioned by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in May 2025, had also failed.
Verification: PRNigeria’s fact-check team carried out a detailed investigation to ascertain the authenticity of the claim and discovered that the claim started trending on 23rd July, 2025
Investigation by PRNigeria fact-check team revealed that this claim surfaced shortly after a confirmed incident involving the partial collapse of a flyover bridge in Keffi, Nasarawa State. On July 18, 2025, two people were reportedly killed and several injured after an overloaded truck collided with a beam of the Keffi flyover, leading to the structural failure of a section of the bridge. In response, the Federal Government announced a 30-day emergency repair timeline for the affected infrastructure.
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The project, constructed at a cost of ₦16 billion, not ₦10 billion as claimed, was inaugurated in May 2025 by Governor Abdullahi Sule and President Tinubu. The bridge, which serves as Lafia’s first-ever overhead crossing, was designed to reduce congestion and improve urban mobility in the state capital.
Meanwhile, a reverse image search of the viral photo revealed that it has been previously shared in various unrelated contexts, including as an AI-generated image portraying fictional infrastructure disasters in India. Notably, the version of the image used in the Lafia claim had earlier been circulated with false captions linking it to a supposed bridge collapse in Bihar, India. Although media reports show that there was however a similar bridge collapse in India in the same month as reported here.
Visual analysis of the image using AI-detection tools revealed irregularities such as distorted structures, unnatural shadow patterns, and missing details in human figures, indicators of typical images created using generative AI platforms.
Further checks showed no credible media report or government statement confirming this viral image.
Conclusion: PRNigeria’s fact-check investigation found no evidence to support the claim that the Lafia flyover collapsed shortly after commissioning. The viral image attached to the claim is AI-generated and has been previously circulated with false narratives in other countries. While a real flyover collapse occurred in Keffi due to a vehicular accident, there is no such incident involving the Lafia bridge.
Verdict: FALSE
The image and accompanying claim about the Lafia flyover collapse are false and misleading. The photograph is AI-generated.
By PRNigeria
